Wringer



' Oct. 21, 1941- .1. s. VISSCHEAR WRINGER Filed April 13, 1938 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor: John S, Visscher',

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Oct. 21, 1941. J. s. VISSCHER WRINGER Filed April 13, 1938 3 Sheeis-Sheet 2 S. Vis scher .772? 5 Hi Attorneg.

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44/4", 'IIIIIIIA Oct. 21, 1941. J. 5. VISSCHER WRINGER Filed April 13, 1938 I Sheets-Sheet 3 2.2 Fig. .9.

a r e ...m m re. .o 08 mm w W W w H n 0 5 |D rests on a collar 'the openings 4 arranged between the.bottom of the recess Ill 5 Patent ed Oct. 21; 1941 OFFICE I wamosn I John 'S. Visscher,

General Electric New York Stratford, Conn.. assignor to ompany, a corporation of u ipplioationllpril 13, 1938, Serial No. 201,806

. 4 Claims. The present invention. relates to clothes wringers of the type suitable for use with domestic washing machines.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in clothes wringers, what I believe to and for a consideration of. be novel and my invention,

attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended theret In the accompanying drawings,

vention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 ma sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;. Fig. 4 is'a sectional view takenon line 4-4 of Fig. 2;'

tional view taken on line 6-6 ,of g. 4; Fig. 6

' is a-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fi 7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-1 of l 'ig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the upper end of the wringer along thesection line 6-8 of eing shown in the position in .Flg. 4, the'parts b which the ,wringer Fig. 9 is a sectional rolls are pressed together: view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line |o-|,u of Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 is a sectional view 3 which is bolted to the under side of theside The side stile l is integral with a frame supporting the driving mechanism for the wrin er and having a depending tubular sleeve v I g directions by the gear 25. -The direction of rotastiles.

4 (Fig. 4) which rotatably fits over theupper. end of the wringer machine and stfpportsthe wringer thereon. At the lower end of the sleeve 4 is a flange 6 which 1 fixed to the wringer post 6.

The collar 1 has a series of openings 8 which cooperatewith the lower end of a detent' pin 9 to hold the wringer in one of a plurality. of fixed positions. The pin 8is slidable-in a recess ill in K It is-biased into engagement with 8 by means of. a coil spring II the sleeve 4.

\ the'pin.\v The pin is lifted out of engagement with the openings 8, by means of a handle i2 which projects to the outside of the wringer through a slot I 3. Movement of and the upper end of the pin 6 is limited'by engagement of the handle with the upper and lower edges or the slot. 7 The wringer is driven by a vertical shaft l4 which is journaled in a hearing it at the upper end of the. wringer post 6 and which is rotated by any suitable means. for example the'driving Jections 11 which 5 end of a tubular coupling member 'per end 01' the coupling member 'Flg.'1 is a 10 front elevation of a wringer embodying my ing; 5 is a sec- 16 post 6 of a domestic washing positions by upper endof the shaft l4 projects beyond the upper end of the wringer post 6 and fixed thereon is a coupling member comprising a collar 1 6 having diametrically opposite pin-like profit in slotsl8 in the lower l6. The up ls telescopes over thelower end of a stub shaft 26-which is iournaled in a bearing 2| carried in a tubular portion '22 integral with the side stile'l and forming a continuation lower end of the shaft 20 pling member i9 by meansfof a pin 22 fixed to the coupling member l9 and fitting in a slot 24 in the lower end of the shaft 20. The above described arrangement provides a coupling between the shaft l4 and the shaft 20 which does not require accurate alignment.

28 is Journaled inxa bearing 8 8 carried on an "arm 3| integral with the side stile I. The. right end of the shaft 28 hasa cylindrical coupling member 62 pinned thereto which rotates in a bearing 83 carried in aboss 34 in the side stile l. The bearing 88 therefore serves as a support for-the right end of the shaft 28. I

The gears 26 and 21 are rotated in opposite selectively-connecting one or the other of and 21to the shaft. This is eflfected on the, shaft 26. On opposite sides, the clutch member is provided with-teeth 36 (shown only on the sid facing gear 21) which cooperate with recesses- 8 in the gears 26 land 21 to couple one of the gears to the shaft 28. In the. position shown in Fig. 4 the clutch member 86 Bin the neutral position in which the shaft .28 is stationleft or right along the shaft 28 to the coupling means of a tongue 88 which fits in an annular groove 89 in the clutch member.

The tongue 38 is fixed to theunder side of a channel-shaped shifting member 46 which is sliding moveslidable' on bosses 4| and 42. The ment of the shift member 48 is limitedby a pin 43 .fixed in the boss 4| and projected through an elongated. slot 44 in the member 40. The left of. the sleeve 4. The

is coupled to the couj tion of the shaft 28 can, ther efore,'-be reversedy the gears 26 by means of a slidable clutch member I! splined I tch member 35 is moved to the stile i.

.Fig. 5 the projection. 4

' neutral position move the member .5. Under normal conditions, this force the pin 46 tending to move 46 to the right, as viewed in end of the member 46 is held against the boss 4| by means of a washer 45-flxed t the projecting end of the pin 48. the shifting. member 46 is a cylindrical pin-like. 46 which slidably'fits in a channel the depending side. walls 41 of a lever 48. Integral with the upper side of the lever MS a pin 49 by means of which the lever 48 is pivoted on a bracket 58 fixed to a member 5| slidably carried in a slot 52, (Fig. 8) in the side The member 5| is moved in the slot 52 by a projection 53. The bracket 56 and the projection 53 project beyond the edges of theslot' 52 on opposite sides of the side stile and there-- fore serve to hold the member 5| in the-slot. The lever 48 is biased to the position shown in- Fig. 5 by means of a tension spring 54 arranged between one end fixed to the arm 3|. other end of the lever as shown in Fig. 5.

When the parts are The spring 54biases the. 48 against the bracket 56,

in the position shown in 6 on the shifting member 46 is directly below thepin 46 on'the lever 48. In this position the clutch member 66 is in the in which neither of the gears 26 or 21 is connected to the shaft 28.

At the right end of I This force will tend therefore, an equal and opposite force of reaction exerted on the lever 48 acting toward the left. to pivot the lever 48 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, and will therefore hold the lever 48 solidly in the position shown in Fig. 5. There is, therefore, no yielding movement of the lever 46 while the clutch member 85 is being moved from the the clutch member 6 of the lever 46 and hook 55 When the member 5| is moved toward the left 1 in the slot 52 (downward as viewedin Fig. 5) the lever 48 is moved to a position in which the projection 46 assumes the position with reference.

to the lever 48 indicated by reference numeral 56 in Fig. 5. Dining this movement, a force will be exerted on the shifting member 46 tending to 46 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, ,and there will therefore be an equal andv opposite force of reaction exerted on the lever 46 v .im'possible. Under these circumstances; the force of reactionv exerted on the lever 46 by means of the projection 46 will beof suflicient'magnitude' to overcome the force of the spring .64 and the lever 48 will accordingly be pivoted about the pin 49 relieving the pressure. exerted on the shifting member 46 and preventing damage to the shifting mechanism. The gear 26 is rotating continuously so that the condition in whichthe clutch teeth 36 are opposite the portions of the gear intermediate the depressions will be momentary, and will be corrected by the rotation ofthe gear 26. As soon as the depressions 61 of the gear 26 are rotated by the spring 54 to the position shown in Fig.

'5 thereby completing the movement of the shiftbe toward the right, as viewed in Fig.

\ erable advantage over serves to guide the material to the rolls.

to a position opposite the clutch teeth 66 the lever 46 will be returned engaged position.

By a similar analysis, it will be found that 6 is yieldably moved into engagement with the gear 21 and is positively moved from the engaged position. It is obviously desirable that the clutch member be yieldinglymoved into engagement with the gears so as 'to prevent damage to the mechanism in case the teeth of the clutch member are not properly aligned with the cooperating parts of the gears. However, since there is a possibility that the clutch member may stick in the engaged position, particularly when the clutch member is shifted under heavy load, it is equally desirable that the clutch member be moved from the engaged position positively. Both of these objects are fulfllled in the above described mechanism.

The driving mechanism is enclosed by a shell 51 which is secured to the side stile by means of screws 58. The shell 51 has a skirt 58 depending around the outside of the wringer post and having an opening 66 therein through which the handle l2 projects. It will this construction the frame supporting the wringer and driving mechanism therefor is a its functional purposes. The shell 61, which comprises the rest of the wringer head, serves as..-a n enclosure for the mechanism. The appearance or styling of the shell 51 may, therefore, be changed materially without changing ing and supporting mechanism. This is a consid the wringer constructions in general'use wherein the driving and-supportifig mechanism is built into a wringer head which also serves as the enclosure for such mechanism.

On each side ofthe wringer are upper drainboards 6| having tabs 62 at one end which are hooked into-slots 66 in the side stile 2 (Fig. 11) and having tabs 64 at the other end which are clampedbetween the side stile andzthe abutting edges of the shell 51. Intermediate the tabs 62 and 64 the edges of the drainboards 6| are flush with the side stiles and. 2 The drainboards 6| have a. rounded upper edge. 66 just below the bite of the wringer rolls and an inclined surface leading up to this edge which The lower edges of the drainboards are rounded and provided with inwardly extending flanges 66. The rounded edges present a smooth surface so that the material being wrung will not be caught on the drainboard.

- Beneath the drainboards are lower drainboards 61 which terminate short of the inner edge of the flange 66 so as to provide a drainage space- (Fig. 2). The drainboards 61 are connected by an integral channel-shaped portion 66 which encloses and is spaced from the side of the bottom frame member 8. The drainboards 61 have upwardly extending side flan es 68 which are respectively securedto the adjacent side stiles. The water board 61 by a tilting drainboard 16 which is supported and tilted in amanner which will be hereinafter described. I

driving and supporting be noted that with i the construction of the drivv is-directed to the drain- Between the side stiles are upperand lower wringer rolls 1| and 12. The lower wringer roll 12 is fixed to a shaft 18 having an integral coupling head". The coupling head has a pin 15 fixed therein which cooperates with slots 18 in.

the coupling member 82 to provide a driving connection between the shaft 28 and the lower wringer roll. At the other end the shaft 13 is journaled in a bearing 11 which is carried in a square bearing block 18, seated in a seat 18 in,-

tegral with the side stile 2. The seat 18 is openat its upper end.

The upper wringer roll 1| is journaled on a shaft 80 which is fixed between the depending arms 8| and 8|a of a. control bar 82, extending skirt and the upper roll the operator cannot reach in between the upper roll and the control bar. This is a safety feature since if a greater space were provided the operators hand might become jammed between the control bar and the upper roll. This would be particularly like ly if the operators hand were inserted between the control bar and the upper wringer roll from the side opposite from that from which clothes were being fed.

The upper roll and the control bar constitute a unitary assembly which can be inserted and removed as a unit. The arms 8| and Ma of the control bar have outwardly extending projections 85 and 85a which fit in slots 86 in vertically slidable plates 81 carried in the inner faces of the side stiles and 2 (Figs. 5 and 11). Atthe upper end of the slots 86 are hook shaped portions 88 which prevent direct upward movement of the control bar assembly. To insert or remove the control bar, the control bar is tilted so that the projections 85 extend angularly beneath the hook shaped-portions 88. The open ings provided .by the hooked portions 88 are covered by plates 88a hinged to the side stiles I and 2.

' ing the frame due to the spring forces. If the upper spring were omitted, the force exerted on Theplates 81 are provided with clearance open-- ings 82 around the lower wringer roll shaft .18. The plates 81 are enclosed by cover plates 88 fixed respectively to the side stiles and 2. Roll guards 84 are fixed to the outer surface of the cover plates 88.

The slots in the plates 81 have a central portion 85 in which the lower ends of the projections 85 and 85a loosely rest and branched cam surfaces 88 on each side thereof which cooperate with rollers 81 journaled on shafts 88 fixed in the projections 85 and 85a. When the control bar is in the neutral position, shown in Fig. 6, the rollers 81 are directly above the lower ends of the projections 85 and the control bar assembly is accordingly loosely carried in the wringer.

Under these conditions, the plates 81 are urged downward against the stops 8 by the leaf springs trol bar is tilted to one side or the other of the central position. Under these conditions the rollers 81 cooperate with the cam surfaces 86 to force the upper roll against the lower roll. The plate 81 yields upward against the tension of the springs 88 limiting the pressure between the rolls. In the position shown in Fig. 8, the rollers v I 81 rest in arcuate portions 88 and the-direction of the pressure is such that the control bar is held in this position. As varying thicknesses of material are fed between the rolls, the upper roll is forced upward, moving the control bar and plate 81 upward while the parts remain in the same position. To release the pressure between the rplls the control bar is merely returned to the central. position, moving the rolls out of engagement with the cam surface 86.

It will be noted that the movement of the upper roll is in a vertical direction while pressure is being applied and released since it is confined by the slots 85. Also, when the rolls are pressed together-the angular position of the control bar is independent of the position of the plates 81. It is, therefore, impossible to release the roll pressure by wringing too great a thickness of material. This is due to the fact that in the wringing the control bar is wedged across the slots 85 and the cam surfaces 86, both of which are part of the plates 81. The vertical position of the plates 81 accordingly has no effect upon the control bar.

The tilting movement of the control bar is used to apply pressure between the wringing rolls and is also used to control the driving connection to the lower wringer roll. This is effected by means of an arm I88 projecting from the lower end of the arm 8| and having a projection |0| which fits in a channel shaped slot I02 (Fig. 8) in the part 53 of the slide 5|. The channel shaped portion is enlarged at its upper end to facilitate inthe bottomframe member 8 would be at its center. There would then be some danger of flexing the bottom frame member and thereby causing spreading of the upper ends of the side stiles. The springs are enclosedby the channel shaped portions 68 of the lower drainboards 61. Due

to the enclosure, there is substantially no danger sertion of the projection |8| therein when the control bar is being inserted in the wringer. It is obvious that as the control bar is tilted the slide 5| will be moved in the slot 52. As explained above, this movement of the slide controls .the driving connection to the shaft 28. When the control bar is in the central position the slide 5| will be in the center of the slot 52. The parts are designed so that when the control bar is tilted toward the operator the wringer rolls are rotated in the direction to wring material from the side facing the operator.

Since the operation of the wringer is effected by moving the control bar to one side of the central position, it is desirable that accidental movement of the control bar to the operative position To apply pressure between the rolls the condrainboard I to board 10 is limited be prevented. This is This serves as a detent holding the control bar in the central position. The upper edge of the spring I05 is chamfered at I06 to facilitate insertion of the control bar assembly,

During wringing, it is necessary board be tilted so as to direct the water to the proper side of the wringer drainboard. The drainboard I0 is pivotally supported on pins I01 integral with the cover plates 93 (Fig. 4). At the free end of the wringer, the drainboard 10 has an upwardly extending. ear provided with a channel shaped portion I08 (Fig. 9) which fits over a pin I09 carried on a plate IIO which is rotatable on the lower roll shaft I3. The plate is arranged between the end of the lower wringer roll and the inner face of bearing bar 11. At its upper end, the plate I I0 has an inwardly extending tab III which extends between the bite of the rolls. The lower end of the plate I I0 is heavy enough to bias the plate to a vertical position. The tab III is therefore being constantly urged with a relatively light force into the bite of the rolls. tab III is gripped between the rolls and the plate H0 is moved to the opposite side of the rolls. This movement is suflicient to tilt the one side or the other of the central position. The movement of the drainby engagement of. the front edgethereof with the upper surface of one of the drainboards 61. This edge is covered by a rubber strip H2 which serves as a seal. Movement of the plate I I0 beyond the position necessary to effect-the tilting of'the drainboard I0 is prevented by engagement of the pin I09 with an inwardly extending tab H3 at the upper end of the channel shaped portion I08.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a wringer, rolls,-driving gearing therefor including a member movable into and out of a position effecting a driving connection to the rolls, mechanism for applying and releasing the pressure between the rolls, a carrier reciprocated by said mechanism, a lever pivoted thereon, means yieldingly resisting pivotal movement of the lever in one direction and offering substantially greater resistance to pivotal movement thereof in the reverse direction, a connection between said lever and said movable member whereby the movable member is moved into and out of the driving that the drain-' When the wringer rolls are reversed the effected by means of a pro I jection I03 on the lower end of the arm 8 I a which cooperates with a groove I04 in a strip spring I05.

position as the carrier is reciprocated, said connection being shiftable along the length of the ever.

2'. In a wringer, a reversible drive for the rolls including a member shiftable from one to the other side of a neutral position to efiect driving connections respectively rotating the rolls in one or the reverse direction, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, means yieldably resisting pivotal movement of the lever in one direction, means offering substantially greater resistance to pivotal movement of the lever in the opposite direction, and shifting means for said .member acting through a connection between the lever and said members, said connection being movable relative to the lever and being on one or the other side of the pivot point of said lever as said member is shifted respectively on one or this neutralposition.

-3. In a wringer, a reversible drive for the rolls including a member shiftable from one to the other side of a neutral position to effect driving connectionsrespectively rotating the rolls in one or the reverse direction, mechanism for shifting said member including a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, means yieldably resisting pivotal movement of the lever in one direction, means offering substantially greater resistance to pivotal movement of the lever in the opposite direction, a connection between said member and said lever, and means for effecting movement relative to the lever of said connection and the pivot point of the lever so said connection is shifted-from one to the other side of the pivot point as said member is shifted from one to the other side of the neutral position.

4. In a wringer, a reversible drive for the rolls including a member shiftable from one to the other of a neutral position to effect driving connections respectively rotating the rolls'in one or the reverse direction, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, means yieldably resisting pivotal movement of the lever in one direction, means offering substantially greater resistance to pivotal movement of the lever inthe opposite direction, a cam surface on said lever extending on each side of the pivot point of the lever, a cam follower on said member cooperating with said cam surface, and means for shiftingsaid lever to bring the cam follower on one or the other side of the pivot point of said lever as said member is shifted respectively on one or the other side of the neutral position.

JOHN SJVISSCHER.

the other side of 

